leftovers

Our family loves mashed potatoes, and before I go any further – NO this is not a recipe for my husband’s great mashed potato recipe! We try to have at least one good meat-and-potatoes style meal each week, and always cook up a big batch of mashed potatoes to serve with our steaks or roast.

Potatoes are a great source of Vitamins C and B6, and they are inexpensive and filling as well. For families on a budget, potatoes should be a weekly staple on the grocery list or a must-have in the garden. Save the peels to compost, or simply mash them up with the flesh of the potato for added nutrients.

Mashed potatoes are easily transformed from a tasty side-dish to the main feature of a family meal. Here is a quick and easy recipe I developed last night with leftovers from the past few days. There are many recipes for leftover mashed potatoes, many of them for potato pancakes, and we will add as many as we can over the next few weeks. This is a great choice for a meal towards the end of the week, when you have a variety of leftover ingredients. Get creative with what you have; the hallmark of frugal and tasty recipes are adaptability. As long as I have a few onions and garlic around, I can usually come up with a dish that pleases most if not all of the family.

In a large frying pan, cook your bacon if needed. If the bacon is already cooked, simply toss it into the pan, and when it starts to sizzle a little add the chopped ham, garlic and onions. Cook until the onion bits are translucent, stirring frequently. No butter or oil is needed – there is enough grease in the bacon and ham. Add the chopped red pepper and stir for another minute or two. The mashed potatoes can either be added into the pan with the green peas and stirred until the whole mixture is warmed through, OR the mashed potatoes and peas can be warmed in the microwave and then combined with the bacon, onion and pepper mixture in a large bowl. A prettier way to serve this mashed potatoes recipe is to spoon the potatoes onto each plate, then top with the bacon pepper mixture and garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley or fresh cilantro.

This is also a good recipe to use when camping – and it is delicious when made on a campstove or in a cast iron frying pan – the smoky campfire taste just adds to the flavour!

Our family LOVES Thanksgiving – in fact, we love the autumn in general. Kids are back to school, football season starts, the air is cool and crisp, it’s all good. Of course we have a big turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and there is usually lots let over. After extended family members head home with their “care packages” of leftover turkey, squash, Mom’s great stuffing and Auntie’s delicious desserts, we usually still have turkey leftover.

Using Your Leftover Turkey

Luckily there are many frugal turkey recipes that make great use of leftover turkey, and even some very good inexpensive thanksgiving recipes that can be used for your main holiday dinner. The basics remain the same; turkey and vegetables in a creamy sauce with seasonings and a yummy topping. Some leftover turkey pot pie recipes use crescent rolls or stuffing for toppings, other use biscuits, and still others call for homemade pastry. Pan pies or pot pies are easily made in a casserole or oven-safe glass dish, and turkey leftovers can be transformed into other casserole recipes by mixing rice or cooked pasta into the cream turkey mixture and topping it all with shredded cheddar cheese instead of pastry. Use this recipe as a starting point for your own version of turkey pot pie – happy cooking!

Turkey Pot Pie Recipe Ingredients

2 tablespoons of garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup low sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup

2 tbsp zesty Italian salad dressing

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp thyme

3 cups mixed frozen vegetables (I use the corn, peas and carrots mix)

1/2 cup cranberries (optional)

1 1/2 cups shredded or bite-sized chopped turkey pieces

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup frozen hash browns

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tin Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, unrolled

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large skillet, brown the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in the mushroom soup and salad dressing. Any sort of Italian-style salad dressing will do – this works with the sundried-tomato and the creamy Italian dressing as well. Add the pepper and thyme and vegetables, stirring between additions. Frozen vegetables have enough moisture in them to create a nice creamy base, but if you are using fresh vegetables add 1/4 cup of milk, chicken stock or water to the mixture. Add cranberries if you are using them. My kids don’t like it when I do this but I thought it was a superb addition. Finally, add in your turkey bits, lemon juice and hash browns and heat through. The hash browns stretch this dish a little further; leave them out if you want a creamier turkey pot pie.

At this point you can freeze the turkey pot pie base mixture for later use – it freezes very well. It can be frozen when it is completely put together, but I use the crescent rolls and I find that they don’t freeze well in their uncooked state.

Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 glass lasagna dish OR a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the mixture, and then top with crescent rolls, stuffing, Bisquick or homemade pastry. Sprinkle with dried parsley or brush with egg white if you would like a glistening top to your leftover turkey pot pie. Bake for about 25 minutes.

Our family eats a lot of chicken. We grill it, bake it, broil it, pan fry it, stir fry it, poach it, and we often have one or two chicken breasts leftover when we are finished. I am always on the lookout for recipes that can use my leftover chicken in creative ways to feed our family. This recipe uses many of the basic items that I keep stocked in our pantry, and provides protein and fiber from the chicken and whole grain pasta, vitamin C and anti-oxidants from the tomatoes, and of course lots of flavor from the fresh herbs and garlic. Add toasted garlic bread with shredded low-fat cheese and a light Caesar Salad and you have turned your leftover chicken into a hearty meal for a family of four to six. (The recipe makes 6 servings, but if you have teenage boys in the house it will only feed 4 of them). It also stores well, and is a good dish to freeze in individual portions as a healthy alternative to tv dinners on a busy weeknight, before or after a football practice, or when mum or dad are away and teenagers need to feed themselves.

Ingredients:

450 grams of a short whole grain pasta such as penne or rotini

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt

2 tbsp chopped garlic in oil

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 chopped yellow onion

6 – 8 cherry tomatoes, washed and halved

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes 1/4 cup red wine

2 tbsp prepared green pesto

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano or 2 tsp fresh oregano

1 tbsp dried basil or 2 tbsp fresh basil

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

2 grilled or cooked chicken breasts, diced into bite sized pieces

fresh basil for garnish, or shredded mozzarella

Optional:

1/4 green pepper, chopped

1/4 red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 medium zucchini, chopped

Method:

Use a large saucepan to bring water to a boil. Add olive oil and a pinch of salt, and cook pasta until firm but tender – about 8 – 10 minutes. Meanwhile, use a large skillet to brown the chopped onions, garlic and chopped cherry tomatoes in the olive oil. When onions are soft and clear, add all remaining ingredients except the chicken breasts and fresh basil. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken. Add diced chicken and cook for another 5 minutes or until chicken is warmed. Discard bay leaf. Serve over pasta, and garnish with fresh basil leaves or low fat shredded mozzarella cheese.

Here is another great recipe for a salad that makes a meal. Adding chicken or salmon to a crunch salad gives you protein and enough substance to make a new meal out of leftover cooked meat. Add a whole grain roll and a glass of milk and your main food groups are all represented. This recipe uses bottled Oriental or Asian black bean sauce for convenience. You can easily substitute peanut sauce if you prefer, and if you are really ambitious you can make your own black bean sauce. This allows you to monitor the sodium, which can be high in prepared sauces. Be mindful of the red chili peppers – start with just using one and see how your family fares – you can always add the second if they are ready to try a spicier version. This is a super low-fat alternative to the fast food oriental salads offered at Wendy’s, McDonald’s and Burger King.

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup Oriental-style black bean sauce

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

2/3 cup chopped green onions

2 dried red chili peppers, chopped

1/2 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts

Romaine lettuce leaves

orange bell pepper, sliced thinly

dried egg noodles for garnish

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 can mandarin orange segments

Method:

Slice the chicken breasts into thin slices. Use a shallow glass dish (I use my pyrex lasagna dish) to combine chicken and black bean sauce. Make sure the chicken is well-coated with marinade. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about half an hour. Spray a wok or large non-stick skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Add the chicken and saute over medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes or until it is no longer pink inside. Stir in cucumber, green onions, bell pepper, chili peppers and peanuts. Saute for another minute then remove the wok from the heat. Arrange romaine lettuce leaves on four large dinner plates or salad bowls. Spoon the chicken mixture over the lettuce leaves. Garnish with the egg noodles, sesame seeds and mandarin orange segments. Serve immediately.

This recipe makes four servings of 187 calories each. There are 9 carbs per serving, 28 grams of protein, 573 grams of sodium, 4 grams of fat and 66 mgs of cholesterol.

Mango is the perfect foil for hot or spicy meats. Its cool sweetness helps cut the pungency and adds interest to the palate and the plate. As mangoes are becoming increasingly available at neighborhood grocers and supermarkets, North Americans are looking for easy ways to use it in their meal planning and cooking. Raw mango is a delicious snack, and can be eaten by the slice, cubed for fruit salads, or pureed for use in smoothies. This recipe combines mango with dark leafy greens and poached chicken for a mouth-watering main meal. Prepare it for your next romantic dinner – it serves two. It is a great way to use up leftover chicken that has been cooked earlier in the week – I always cook more than I will need so that I can use the leftovers in a soup or salad. If company is coming, simply double or triple the recipe so your guests can enjoy it too!

Method: For the Mango – How to Peel a Mango: Wash the mango, and hold it on its side. Use a sharp knife to slice lengthwise about 1/3 of the way into the flesh, just avoiding the large pit. Turn the mango over and do the same thing on the other side. Then use the knife to make a criss-cross pattern across the skin without cutting through the flesh. Begin to pull on the skin – you will see a lot of diamond shapes starting to pop out – cut them off close to the peel and voila, you now have mango cubes to work with!

Once your mango is chopped, use a medium bowl and a wire whisk to combine all the dressing ingredients. Wash and dry your salad greens and divide them between two large dinner plates. Sprinkle chopped celery pieces over the mixed greens. Place the shredded chicken, walnuts, andmango cubes on each plate, and drizzle with dressing. Serve with extra dressing in a small pitcher on the table. NOTE: pecans can be substituted in for the walnuts. The cilantro and mango make an excellent flavor combination.

Grapes are wonderful fruits either on their own, with wine and cheese, incorporated into a fruit salad dessert, or tossed in a chicken salad. Here is a grape salad recipe that is perfect for hot summer days, either as a quiet meal for family or served at a weekend barbeque. The combination of cantaloupe, green grapes, blueberries and pineapple is absolutely delicious and also makes a nice breakfast fruit salad all on its own.

Chicken Grape Salad Recipe

Ingredients – Salad

3 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cut into cubes

torn lettuce leaves – use a mixture of romaine, mustard greens, and arugula

3/4 cup of diced pineapple

1 small cantaloupe made into melon balls

1 1/4 cups strawberries, rinsed and sliced

1 cup green grapes

1/2 cup blueberries

2 tbsp pecans

Ingredients – Dressing

1/4 cup vinegar

3 tbsp organic liquid honey

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp poppy seeds

1/4 tsp dry mustard

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

Set the chicken cubes in a large bowl. In a separate medium sized bowl, use a wire whisk to combine the vinegar, honey, lime juice, poppy seeds and dry mustard. Gradually pour in a thin stream of olive oil while whisking. Once the dressing is mixed, pour 1/3 of the dressing into a small glass container. With the remaining dressing, pour it over the chicken cubes, gently mixing it in so that the chicken is completely covered. Cover the bowl of chicken with saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about one hour. When you are ready to serve, use six large plates and arrange lettuce leaves as a base on your plates. Set the cantaloupe melon balls in a ring on each plate, with the diced pineapple forming an inner ring. Use a spoon to place a mound of chicken cubes in the center. Use a separate medium sized bowl for the strawberries, green grapes and blueberries. Pour the dressing in the glass container over the fruit and toss gently. Place several spoons of the berry mixture over the chicken and other fruit on each plate. Garnish with pecans.

This recipe makes six servings with 426 calories each. There are 2 grams of dietary fiber, 7 grams of fat, 31 grams of carbs and 24 grams of protein in each serving. This dish makes a lovely summer main course, and can be served with a chilled summer soup and whole grain bread. For dessert serve a light pumpkin custard and your food groups will be covered!